Improvement in harness-saddles



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S. E. TOMPKENS Harness-Saddlesi N0. 140,969, Pa tefitedJuly15,l873..

Witnesses:

- will Attorneys.

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Harness-Saddles. 'No. 140,969, Patentedluiylmtsls.

W i messes: Inventor:

Per 7% p Attorneys.

AM PHD'IO'LITHOGHAPIIIC ca MK (own/ends macsss) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. TOMPKINS, OF SING SING, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARNESS-SADDLES Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,969, dated July 15, 1873; application filed March 15, 1873.

OAsE B.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. ToMPKINs,

of Sing Sing, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Harness-Saddle, of which thethem to adapt said cushions to the shape of the horses back, all as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a harness-saddle complete, except the cushions, constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 00 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of the under side of one-half of the frame. Fig. 4 is a plan of the under side of an under plate. Fig.

' 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 3 on the line 3 y.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of Fig. 4 on the line 2 z. 1

These figures represent the larger saddles for heavy harness with some of the details, which will be modified somewhat for lighter harness, as represented in Figs. 7 to 12, in-

clusive, which are the same views as the preceding figures.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section of the small saddle. Fig. 14 is a side elevation; and Fig. 15 is an under-side plan without the under plate, showing an arrangement by which the back-strap and the flap are nicely fitted to the under side of a plane or flat-top frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the metal frame; 13, the under plates; G, theback-band; D, the flap; E, the stifi'ener; F, the jockey; J, the pad-screws; Gr, the terret-screws H, the nuts for theterret-screws K, the saddle-seat; and L, the screw for fastening the seat to the frame. This frame A has a plane flat upper surface, as shown at M, Fig. 5, except at the top where it bends so as to pass over the ,top of the backof the horse, so that the two parts each side of the bend will extend down the sides of the back; and at the top of the frame for the large harness there is what I call a sunken bridge, N, in the middle portion-that is, a part formed as much lower than the side portions 0 of the plate as the thickness of the back strap (J, or thereabout, to allow of having a continuous back-strap in one piece passing entirely over the saddle, instead of having it in two pieces, as I do in the lighter harness; and below this bridge is a wide opening, 1?, on each side, through which the back-strap passes under the frame at Q, on each side; but for the light harness, in which it is not desirable to have the back-strap pass over this sunken bridge, will not be used, and the frame not have the holes P, but will continue in the same form so far as the upper surface is concerned, to the curve at the top, and will be uniform inthe curved part, as shown in Fig. 7. This frame will be made very thin and light with strengthening-ribs R on the under side, at or near the edges, but preferably just outside of the middle portion Q, along which the back-strap passes, said ribs being wider and stronger in the upper portion, and gradually diminishing as they approach the ends of the plate. It is immaterial what their form may be in crosssection; for example, they may be either as in Figs. 5 or 11. In the large frame they may vanish in the bridge at the upper end, and in the small one they may continue along the bend and meet at the middle. At the ends of the frame I form a notch, S, to allow the backband to have a graceful curve outward in passing from under it, which is produced by the points T extending along the flap D each side of the back-band a short distance, and preventing it from being pressed against the back-band too much, which would bend it abruptly across the end of the plate if continuous from edge to edge, so that after a little it I be used in the small saddles.

plates B have a broad sunken part, V, along the middle lengthwise between the edges W (see Fig. 6,) constituting a deep wide groove or channel, to allowthe back-band and the tongue or middle part X of the flap to spring down and pass under the frame while the plate is attached to the edges of the flap at its edges by nails driven through the holes Y in said edges, and for the heavy harness it is provided with holes Z for holding nuts for the pad-screws, besides the hole a for the nut of the terret screw. These under plates are notched at the lower end, as shown at b, similar to the way the frame is notched, to allow the stiflener E to pass out at the end of the plate, which curves up against the flap, and they are notched similarly at e at the top, which is desirable in some methods of manufacture to allow any straps-say the back-strap or the flap-4o pass from under the middle portion a little before coming to the end d, which, being curved upward considerably toward the plate, (see sectional views,) would bind them too much at the end without the notch. The pad-screws being dispensed with in some cases, the under plates will be secured in such cases only by the nails and terretscrews; but pad-screws are used in heavy harness as additional security.

In fitting the flap in the saddles of this character, it is necessary to have the middle portion X, Fig. 15, bend down considerably to make room for the back-band, while the side portions remain up against the under side of the plate A. To accomplish this various ways have been heretofore tried, such as slitting the flap from the upper end down to a point a little below the lower end of the frame; also, so slitting it and cutting off a portion of the ton gue-piece at the upper end, and cutting off the middle piece at the upper ends of the slits; but the best way to accomplish this object, as I have found by practical experiment, is to slit the flap from a point a little below the upper end, as shown at a, down as far below the lower end of the frame as necessary, and not cut the middle portion off, which allows the middle portion to be swelled or pressed down into the under plate, all that is necessary, and preserves the strength of the flap,

and confines the parts together better than any other way.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The body-frame A, consisting of a thin plate with thickened strengthening portions on the under side along the edge, or thereabout, when such plate is constructed substantially as described.

2. The said frame made flat on the upper side with a sunken bridge, N, at the top, and openings P below it for the back-band to pass over the bridge, and under the middle portion of the frame down the sides, substantially as described.

3. The notches Sin the ends of the body frame A, and projections T to give shape to the back-band, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The saddle-frame A, having a plane upper surface, strengtheningribs on the under side, and a notch and projections at the lower ends, substantially as described.

5. The under plates B, having a wide deep groove on the upper surface to allow the backband and flap to spring down under the frame between flanges, in the manner described.

6. The said plates having holes Y in the flanges to nail on the leather portions, substantially as described.

7. The plates having holes Z for the nuts of the pad-screws, substantially as specified.

8. The plates having a notch, b, and projections d at the lower end to allow space for the stiffener, as described.

9. The plates having the notch e at the upper end, to allow the back-band to extend up in small saddles, as described.

10. The combination of under plates B with plates A, when said under plates are provided with holes for pad screw-nuts.

11. The middle portion X of the flap to be depressed to make room for the back-band, separated from the sides of the flap by slits b, but not cut off at the ends, substantially as specified.

Witnesses: SAML. E. TOMPKINS.

T. B. MOSHER,

ALEX. F. Ronnnrs. 

